Chicago Theater District Dims Marquees For Harold Prince
CHICAGO (CBS/AP) -- Chicago's theater district went dark Wednesday night to honor the passing of a Broadway legend.
Broadway director and producer Harold Prince died Wednesday at the age of 91 in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The Broadway theater district in New York also dimmed its lights for Prince on Wednesday evening.
Prince pushed the boundaries of musical theater with such groundbreaking shows as "The Phantom of the Opera," "Cabaret," "Company" and "Sweeney Todd" and won a staggering 21 Tony Awards.
Dana Tyler Reports For CBS New York:
Prince was known for his fluid, cinematic director's touch and was unpredictable and uncompromising in his choice of stage material.
He often picked challenging, offbeat subjects to musicalize, such as Sweeney Todd, about a murderous, knifing-wielding barber who baked his victims in pies, or the 19th-century opening of Japan to the West.
Prince's career spans more than 50 years. In 2017 "Prince of Broadway", a musical about his own work, ran on Broadway and on opening night, he joked about working with producers.
"I've never felt more protected by producers my entire life, not since I was a producer," he said.
He was also the recipient of two special Tony Awards and a Kennedy Center Honor.
"Farewell, Hal. Not just the prince of musicals, the crowned head who directed two of the greatest productions of my career, Evita and Phantom. This wonderful man taught me so much and his mastery of musical theatre was without equal," said Andrew Lloyd Webber.
"Harold Prince Was a director and producer, and a giant on #Broadway. His loss is unfathomable," The Tony Awards tweeted. It went on to list his 21 Tony Awards.
Harold Prince was a director and producer, and a giant on #Broadway. His loss is unfathomable.
Here are his 21 #TonyAwards:
Best Musical 1955 - The Pajama Game (producer)
Best Musical 1956 - Damn Yankees (producer)
Best Musical 1960 - Fiorello! (producer)
(continued) pic.twitter.com/fHlLib57bA— The Tony Awards (@TheTonyAwards) July 31, 2019
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